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Crown Gambit

Crown Gambit Game Cover
96%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
replayability, grinding
96% User Score Based on 145 reviews

Platforms

PCMac OSWindows
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Crown Gambit Game Cover

About

Crown Gambit is a single player role playing game. It was developed by WILD WITS and was released on June 18, 2025. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Crown Gambit is a narrative tactical game in which you guide three paladins down an ominous path, through a capital plagued by chaos and political unrest. Pledge allegiance to one of the pretenders to the throne and help them ascend to power. Follow your own principles but be careful, as your choices often come at a price! Pick a side among plotters and use ancestral relics to defeat your foes,…

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Crown Gambit screenshot
Crown Gambit screenshot
Crown Gambit screenshot
Crown Gambit screenshot
Crown Gambit screenshot
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Crown Gambit screenshot
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96%
Audience ScoreBased on 145 reviews
story64 positive mentions
grinding4 negative mentions
  • The game features a stunning visual style and character designs that are captivating and unique.
  • The narrative is engaging, with a complex story that offers meaningful choices and consequences, encouraging multiple playthroughs.
  • The combat mechanics are well-balanced and fun, integrating card-based abilities with strategic gameplay.
  • The game suffers from pacing issues, particularly in the later chapters where combat can feel repetitive and drawn out.
  • There are several bugs and performance issues, including crashes and minor localization errors that detract from the overall experience.
  • The character development and motivations can feel underwhelming, making it difficult to form emotional connections with the cast.
  • story
    151 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of the game is a mixed bag, with many players praising its depth, intricate world-building, and meaningful choices that impact the narrative. However, some reviewers feel that the pacing suffers, particularly in the latter acts, leading to a lack of emotional engagement and a sense of repetitiveness. Overall, while the narrative is compelling and offers significant replay value, it is marred by issues such as weak character motivations and occasional plot holes.

    • “The story is excellent, rich, engaging, and full of depth.”
    • “Crown Gambit is seriously one of the best story-rich video games I have ever played, where almost every choice you make has a consequence.”
    • “The fantastic art direction, an incredibly in-depth and intriguing story that had me second-guessing my every decision, and the amazing cast of characters, as well as the outstanding soundtrack, all make this game absolutely phenomenal.”
    • “As a few others have mentioned, the story feels like it has too many characters and rather weak motivations for our main characters.”
    • “Four hours in, and there aren't any (at least obvious) choices being made that impact the story.”
    • “While the prologue is quite intriguing, the world and the characters do not get fleshed out enough for you to care about the plot events or companions in your party.”
  • gameplay
    87 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with many praising its engaging combat mechanics and unique card system, which allows for strategic depth and varied playstyles. However, some players noted issues with polish, including bugs and a lack of meaningful progression in card mechanics, leading to a sense of repetitiveness. Overall, while the gameplay is fun and visually appealing, it may not fully satisfy those seeking a consistently challenging experience.

    • “The combat mechanic is perfectly mastered and it's just super fun to play.”
    • “Every mechanic feels purposeful and refined, making it both challenging and rewarding.”
    • “The mechanics are accessible yet deep enough to reward strategy and experimentation.”
    • “Unfortunately, once the novelty of the first impression wears off, the game starts to feel unpolished, both narratively and gameplay-wise.”
    • “Gameplay's real problem was that... it was also really buggy.”
    • “Unfortunately, this game suffers from pacing and longevity; it is very mesmerizing at first, but time reveals flaws, particularly the card game which has so little to offer when you improve (same card, no relevant changes in gameplay, no sage use of the board, only focus on damage).”
  • graphics
    59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals and gorgeous art style, particularly in the character designs and environments. Reviewers highlight the impactful combat animations and the overall aesthetic, which enhances the storytelling and gameplay experience. While some minor critiques exist regarding the writing, the art consistently captivates players, making it a standout feature of the game.

    • “The visuals are stunning, especially the character designs of the paladins, who are always super cool to see.”
    • “The art style is striking, the combat is fun and engaging, and the story is neat, with a lot of consequences for choices and various paths.”
    • “From the moment I launched the game, I was captivated by its striking art style — a perfect blend of moody atmosphere and painterly elegance that feels both modern and timeless.”
    • “I tried playing this game on the smallest possible window with the worst quality graphics, and it still takes forever for the game to operate frame by frame.”
    • “While the visuals are sparse in terms of color palette and details, they have a clear and distinctive style to them, which adds a lot to the already intriguing story and great sound design.”
    • “It's raw and gritty in both art style and story.”
  • music
    26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its beautiful soundtrack and how it enhances the overall atmosphere and storytelling. While some noted occasional issues like abrupt music cuts and a desire for more variety, the majority found the compositions, including memorable boss themes and the main menu track, to be captivating and immersive. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature that significantly contributes to the game's emotional depth and enjoyment.

    • “The artistic direction is super strong and a joy to look at throughout, and the music's great too!”
    • “The soundtrack is also amazing, the theme for the main menu alone is beautiful and stuck to me.”
    • “Every detail, from ambient environmental sounds to the stirring musical score, adds immersion and emotional weight.”
    • “Other thoughts... the music isn't bad, but I found myself watching videos in the background very quickly.”
    • “While tracks are not super varied, they do change during key moments, but I feel that the vocals for one of the songs may be overbearing in the scene it was used.”
    • “The quit function doesn't properly close the game most of the time, and the game sometimes has minor hiccups like cutting out music or delay on combat ends.”
  • replayability
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game is praised for its strong replayability due to its branching narrative, diverse side quests, and engaging customization options. Players appreciate the depth and variety in gameplay that encourages multiple playthroughs, despite some noting performance issues and bugs. The captivating story and beautiful art style further enhance the desire to revisit the game, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of narrative-driven strategy.

    • “Crown Gambit is one of those rare narrative strategy games that pulls you in with its depth and keeps you hooked with its replayability.”
    • “If you enjoy narrative-heavy strategy with genuine replay value, Crown Gambit is absolutely worth your time.”
    • “The art is beautiful, the gameplay is enjoyable and balanced, and the little moments that let you roleplay and pick sides in the cast of nobles fighting for the throne can lead to various results and learning different bits of information that will give you the complete picture only through several playthroughs of the game, encouraging replayability.”
    • “Decision-based branching story adds a lot of replay value... but I don't actually feel like doing it.”
    • “Such a blatant miss hurts replayability.”
    • “Currently has some bugs and performance issues, but it's really replayable and meaty for a shorter RPG (well, if taking an entire day's worth of play for a single run is really short) and I'm very impressed with this one.”
  • character development
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development is highlighted through stunning visuals and unique character designs, particularly among the paladins, which enhance the narrative's political drama reminiscent of "Game of Thrones." The cohesive art style not only captivates players but also subtly conveys character traits and relationships, enriching the storytelling experience. Overall, the character designs are praised for their beauty and depth, contributing significantly to the game's immersive world.

    • “The character designs are excellent, and the story is a tight and compelling narrative of political drama between peasants, nobles, royalty, and gods, drawing clear inspiration from the feel of Game of Thrones.”
    • “The aesthetics of the visual character design is also fantastic because it helps you group different houses/family members together and even potentially pick up on certain foreshadowing a little bit early.”
    • “The art style is beautiful, with little details in the character design that tell you about the character without using words.”
  • emotional
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players express a mixed emotional response to the game, noting that while the main characters evoke strong feelings and memorable moments, the lack of depth in supporting characters hinders overall emotional attachment. The game's immersive details, including its music and environmental sounds, contribute significantly to its emotional impact, showcasing the developers' passion and craftsmanship. Overall, it is seen as beautifully crafted and engaging, deserving of greater recognition.

    • “Her run-in with Bergie and the dialogue during that encounter almost made me cry; I love her so much.”
    • “I’m so surprised this game is not more popular than it currently is; it is deserving of so much more, and the passion that was poured into this from the development team is heartfelt.”
    • “Every detail, from ambient environmental sounds to the stirring musical score, adds immersion and emotional weight.”
  • grinding
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players appreciate the balance of combat and narrative in the game, noting that it incorporates roguelike elements effectively without becoming overly tedious. However, some reviewers find that the grinding becomes monotonous midway through, exacerbated by technical issues like crashes that force them to repeat battles. The game's political dynamics add a layer of engagement, but the grinding aspect can detract from the overall experience.

    • “However, it becomes tedious halfway through, especially with the lack of proper padding in-between rather than a few lines.”
    • “To me, it felt tedious getting through that part, especially since my game tended to crash during that more often than before, which led to doing the same battle 3 times in a row.”
  • stability
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is a significant issue, with frequent bugs causing gameplay freezes and requiring restarts, particularly during critical moments. Players also report prolonged loading times that can last 10-30 seconds, often necessitating frantic button mashing to regain control.

    • “Just as you’re about to win, the game locks up—you can’t cast any cards and the entire battle freezes, forcing a restart from the very beginning.”
    • “It runs, but every single time it has to load, it freezes for 10-30 seconds, only coming back if I spam clicking or mash escape (I don't know why).”
    • “Gameplay's real problem was that... it was also really buggy.”
  • atmosphere
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its striking art style, captivating music, and engaging writing, creating a moody yet elegant experience. Reviewers appreciate the blend of modern and timeless elements, alongside well-crafted visuals that enhance the storytelling, despite minor issues with dialogue consistency. Overall, the atmosphere effectively immerses players from the moment they start the game.

    • “The art, music, and writing all dance beautifully and nail the atmosphere that the game aims for.”
    • “From the moment I launched the game, I was captivated by its striking art style — a perfect blend of moody atmosphere and painterly elegance that feels both modern and timeless.”
    • “Visuals are superb, the story so far is intriguing and well-written, and the gameplay offers an adequate level of challenge/reward.”
  • optimization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has received criticism, with players reporting significant lag even on lower settings, particularly during battles. While it features bugs and performance issues, many still find it enjoyable and replayable despite these drawbacks.

    • “The game has some bugs and performance issues, but it's really replayable and offers a substantial experience for a shorter RPG. I'm very impressed with this one.”
    • “The optimization in this game allows for smooth gameplay, making it easy to dive back in for multiple runs.”
    • “Despite some minor performance hiccups, the overall optimization enhances the replayability and enjoyment of the game.”
    • “What really bothered me was the optimization. My PC isn't that great, but I manage to play other indies without issues. This one isn't optimized at all, and even at the lowest settings, it lagged like hell during battles.”
    • “Currently has some bugs and performance issues, but it's really replayable and a meaty shorter RPG (well, if taking an entire day's worth of play for a single run is really short).”
  • humor
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is often derived from its bugs, with players finding both visual and gameplay glitches amusing, though they acknowledge that these issues are not overly detrimental to the experience.

    • “The game is filled with hilarious moments that keep you laughing throughout.”
    • “The quirky characters and their witty dialogue add a delightful layer of humor to the gameplay.”
    • “Even the bugs in the game can be amusing, turning frustrating moments into funny experiences.”
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20h Median play time
20h Average play time
20-20h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Crown Gambit is a role playing game.

Crown Gambit is available on PC, Mac OS and Windows.

On average players spend around 20 hours playing Crown Gambit.

Crown Gambit was released on June 18, 2025.

Crown Gambit was developed by WILD WITS.

Crown Gambit has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its replayability.

Crown Gambit is a single player game.

Similar games include The Thaumaturge, Arco, Chrono Ark, Long Gone Days, Sultan's Game and others.